Exploration 1- Beauty Pageants

For my first observation I went to a coaching session for two girls who are training for a national pageant in July. I had spent some time talking to both the girls and the coach before the session started and I couldn’t believe how quickly they changed into “pageant character” once the training had began. The thing that stood out to me the most during observation was the emphasis they placed on each contestant’s platform. I had no idea what they were referring to when I was observing, but after talking to one of the girls I was able to understand what all goes into this aspect of pageantry. They are each required to pick a topic and try to promote awareness for that particular issue in the community through interacting with people, holding tournaments, speaking at schools, etc. I was completely unaware of the multifaceted nature of the scholarship pageant these girls are competing in. Not only must they contribute hundreds of hours of community service and promoting their platform, but they must hit the gym several times a week to prepare for the fitness event, train themselves intellectually for the interview portion, find the perfect dress and outfit for the other two events, collect sponsors, sell ads in the program, and spend countless hours working with their coach to modify their posture, walk, smile, and spin, just to name a few. For the entire hour and a half session the coach was doing all of the talking. She would occasionally ask a simple question to one of the girls but the majority of the time she was lecturing them on specific details or she would have them stand or walk a specific distance so she could critique them. The coach was somewhat harsh in my opinion, but it is clear she wants the girls to do their best in the pageant and attain their personal goals.
I learned a lot from just watching these girls interact with the coach, but during the interview is when I was able to ask those specific questions and learn about the pageant technicalities. For instance, as an outsider I was unlearned about the difference between beauty pageants and scholarship pageants. Evidently there is a major difference in the types of events and the girls who compete in them as well. Scholarship pageants are very centered on community service and accomplishments where beauty pageants are geared more towards the outward appearance and physical image. I am still curious about what some of the driving motivations are behind competing in pageants and what these women hope to gain out of their years of commitment. One thing that was interesting to me was the importance that the coach placed on basically living in a bubble the last month or two before competition. I have heard sports coaches emphasize the same thing to prevent injuries in the athletes before a big game, but this is one thing was would be very difficult for me. They are not allowed to do any kind of extreme sports such as water skiing, mountain biking, or gardening was even mentioned. These girls cannot afford any brakes, scrapes, or bruises before competition and even when they are outdoors they must apply sunscreen several times to avoid tan lines that might show in their dresses or outfits. There are a lot of things about pageantry that would be difficult for me, but not being able to wakeboard in the summer would be extremely tough.